Sports -SPORTS/briefly June 5,2000 06/05/00

Published: Monday, June 05, 2000

Kolb recalled by Padres

Former Texas Tech pitcher Brandon Kolb was recalled to the major leagues by the San Diego Padres on Sunday. He took the place of pitcher Donne Wall, who went on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis.

Kolb, a righthander, was 1-1 with a 1.83 earned-run average at Class AAA Las Vegas (Nev.) and tied for the Pacific Coast League lead with 10 saves. It is his second stint in San Diego this season.

In four appearances before he was sent down May 20, Kolb was 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA.

Kolb, 26, pitched at Tech in 1995 and was a Padres fourth-round draft pick that year.

Fusaichi Pegasus out of Belmont

NEW YORK Spooked by a noise, Fusaichi Pegasus injured his right front foot and will not start in the Belmont Stakes next Saturday.

Trainer Neil Drysdale said the incident occurred at 2 p.m. Saturday while the Kentucky Derby winner was asleep in the back of his stall at Aqueduct.

''A noise startled him, and he rushed to the front of the stall, slipped and caught the right front hoof on the door,'' Drysdale said Sunday. ''It gouged a small piece the size of a dime out of the side of his hoof."

With trainer Joe Orseno and owner Frank Stronach deciding to skip the Belmont with Preakness winner Red Bullet, it means the race will be without the winners of the first two Triple Crown races for the first time since 1970. Drysdale elected to stable Fusaichi Pegasus at Aqueduct, currently closed for racing, after his runner-up finish in the Preakness, and planned to van him to nearby Belmont Park this week.

Rocker confronts SI reporter

ATLANTA John Rocker had a confrontation Sunday with the Sports Illustrated reporter who wrote the story in which the Braves reliever made offensive comments about gays, minorities, immigrants and his own teammates.

Jeff Pearlman, in Atlanta to do a story on the Braves-Yankees meeting for the first time since last year's World Series, had a chance meeting with Rocker in a tunnel beneath Turner Field about two hours before the final game of the series.

According to Pearlman, Rocker made threatening comments such as ''This isn't over between us'' and ''Do you know what I can do to you?'' The confrontation lasted about two minutes and became so heated that Rocker flipped around the bill of his cap so he could get face-to-face with the reporter.

''I was scared,'' Pearlman said. ''But he didn't do anything.''

Rocker attempted to get Pearlman banned from the clubhouse. The Braves stressed that he was allowed the same access as any other reporter.